The Senate has struck a bipartisan deal to end the shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration, which has been partially shuttered since its funding expired on July 23.
Under a deal negotiated between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner, the Senate will pass the House bill, including the cuts to rural airport flight service which originally brought the two chambers of Congress to loggerheads. (RELATED: Dow plunges over 500 points)
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, however, will use his authority to exempt those airports from the cuts.
Since the partial shutdown, some 4,000 FAA workers have been furloughed and 200 airport construction projects have been halted, leaving about 70,000 construction workers without paychecks.